Business Jet Traveler

Bombardier's next Learjet will be bigger and faster than any of its forebears, the company has announced. The 10-seat, stand-up-cabin Learjet NXT will fill the market gap between the midsize Learjet 60XR and super-midsize Challenger 300.

Manned flight in powered aircraft was only 15 years old when the idea of carrying mail in airplanes seemed doable to the bureaucrats in Washington. The airplane's success during the Great War in Europe-still ongoing- showed a promise of peacetime applications. So it happened on May 1, 1918, that the U.S.

Despite "challenges" in assembly of the first Boeing 787 prototype that have forced delay of the first flight and certification by at least six months, Boeing Business Jets does not expect to have to reschedule delivery dates for executive models of the jetliner. Boeing claims to have firm orders for nine executive 787s, two of which will go to an unidentified leasing company.

Piaggio Aero, the Italian aircraft manufacturer, has signed an agreement that calls for 22 Avanti II twin turboprop business aircraft to be delivered to U.S. fractional ownership operator Avantair from 2011 through 2012. Valued at $150 million, the deal represents "one of the largest sales in the history of Piaggio Aero," said company CEO Josй Di Mase.

Inner beauty really does trump outward appearance-especially after factoring in comfort and utility. Your aircraft's interior, from the suppleness of the seats to the entertainment system, has a huge impact on both ownership experience and resale value.

Considering that the fractional-aircraft field was borne of a new business model and has been around for more than 20 years, it is perhaps surprising that the basic structure remains fundamentally unchanged: you purchase a share of an aircraft from the provider at a premium; you pay management fees, hourly rates and fuel surcharges; and at the end of your contract, you sell your share back to t

What you'll pay for air charter varies not only by aircraft type and model but by region. Here are the average per-hour rates for popular aircraft nationally and in the Northeast U.S. now and a year ago. Look for price data for other parts of the country in future issues.